Life + Culture

Preserved Faith

How Parkville's Washington Chapel continues to anchor a community Article by Diana Lambdin Meyer | Photography by Bruce N. Meyer Those who are drawn to downtown Parkville come for the historic charm of this community, as well as locally owned shops and restaurants. But most visitors and some residents never experience a quiet, but historically significant side of this little river community. This requires a visit to a short street in a residential area just west of downtown. The address is...

Home + Design

Stoneleaf Homes

Custom Home Builder Alexis Goin carries on an important family legacy Article and Photography by Katie Currid Alexis Goin is a custom home builder in Kansas City. She’s a third-generation home builder and continues the tradition of her grandparents and parents with Stoneleaf Homes.  We sat down to ask her about her favorite parts of her job, what she's learned growing up in the business and what it's like carrying on such an important family legacy. What is your favorite part of working...

Home + Design

Real-Life Design

How Laura Coleman of LC Interiors creates spaces that work for the people in them Article by Katie Currid | Photography by Hannah Schreiner Laura Coleman never set out to create rooms that look good but feel untouchable. Her work is rooted in reality — kids, dogs, everyday messes, and the kind of comfort that makes people want to stay awhile. “I don’t have any formal spaces,” says Laura, who is in the middle of refreshing her own home in Smithville. “I like everything to feel like you can...

Sports + Recreation

Go Long

How Betty Brown keeps Derrick Thomas’ legacy alive through his local foundation Article by Dahkotah Brooks | Photography by Dahkotah Brooks and Amiah Battles When Betty Brown worked at Coors Brewing Company, the local distributor participated in a program that paid Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas $580 for every sack he made.  “That’s how I first met him and first got involved with him,” says Betty. The relationship she built with Derrick through this work later became the...

Auto + Marine

Preserving a Bicentennial Locomotive

How a Parkville resident and KC team helped restore a locomotive to its bicentennial glory Article and Photography by Stephen Priest In the early 1970s, bicentennial fever descended on our country. American flags and patriotic red, white, and blue colors adorned all sorts of industrial machinery, from semi-trailers to locomotives to heavy earth-moving equipment. I clearly remember the 1976 bicentennial logo: a star with rounded points and the call-out 1776–1976. The U.S. Mint even made...

Food + Beverage

The Parker Hollow

Justus Drugstore owners return to the Northland Article and Photography by Katie Currid Jonathan Justus and Camille Eklof have come back to the Northland with their newest restaurant, The Parker Hollow, and the Northland couldn’t be more excited. “It's been really different that we've been very embraced here, and people keep saying, ‘We're so glad that you came here. We're so glad that you're here,’” says Jonathan. “It feels nice to be able to feel wanted, rather than to feel that, ‘Why did...

Education

Parent Toolkit

Planning your child’s summer can feel exciting and overwhelming. With so many camps and programs available, asking the right questions can help families feel confident they’re choosing an experience that’s safe, engaging, and well-run.While some programs, like Oakhill Day School’s Fully Charged Summer Camp, build these expectations into every part of their experience, not all camps operate the same way. Slowing down to consider what matters most for your child and your family can make all the...

Arts + Culture

Snuggle Up with a Book by your Northland Neighbors

Article by Diana Lambdin Meyer Is there anything better on a cold winter day than snuggling up in your favorite chair with a blanket, a furry pet and a good book? For some of us, it is the best part of winter, those quiet days when the snow silently falls and the only sound is the turning of a page. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to reduce stress, get better sleep and improve your overall mental health, the experts say pick up a book. Studies by the Baylor College of Medicine say...

Life + Culture

The Conway Creators

Mother-daughter duo builds a digital legacy through family and entrepreneurship. Article and Photography by Brooks Blair As we move towards the future, social media becomes a part of people’s lives more and more — but for this mother-daughter duo, it’s a crucial part of their job.  Lori Conway and her daughter, Ella, both have careers that are built on the internet, their multiple accounts combined reaching over 2.1M followers. Lori's internet story starts from her passion of sharing her...

Health + Wellness

Slow Down

Discover rest, strength and awareness at The Practice Yoga & Pilates Article by Katie Currid | Photography by Hannah Schreiner Tucked in Liberty, The Practice Yoga and Pilates has been helping Northlanders move, breathe and reconnect with their bodies since 2003. Owner and founder Mandy Froehlich started the studio after a life-changing neck injury at 16 nudged her toward a lifetime of studying movement. She went on to earn degrees in exercise science, spent 20 years as a personal trainer, and...